


A Dazzling Place They Never Knew

by Geekygirl24



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Aladdin (Disney Movies) Fusion, F/F, Jafar and Yusuf are twins, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani and Nicky | Nicolò di Genova are in Love, Lykon's Alive, M/M, Muslim Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani, Nicky | Nicolò di Genova Loves Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-17
Updated: 2021-02-04
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:21:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 8
Words: 10,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26517394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Geekygirl24/pseuds/Geekygirl24
Summary: Jafar is determined to save his kingdom and get his brother married off to a wife that is actually willing to bear him a child.The priest couldn't be allowed to ruin that.
Relationships: Andy | Andromache of Scythia & Nicky | Nicolò di Genova, Andy | Andromache of Scythia/Quynh | Noriko, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani & Quynh | Noriko, Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 27
Kudos: 195





	1. Chapter 1

Most fairy tales have clear boundaries between black and white.

Between good and evil.

This one… not so much.

Instead, our tale starts at twilight, with a man who simply wanted what was best for the kingdom in times of uncertainty and turmoil.

“You are late.” Jafar hissed at the young man, who dismounted his horse with a disgruntled sneer.

“A thousand apologies oh patient one!”

“You have it then?”

“I had to slit a few throats but yes, I got it.” The man pulled half of a golden scarab out of his inside pocket, only to pull it out of reach as Jafar reached for it, tutting at the older man, “Ah, ah, ah… the payment?”

Suddenly, there was a squawk, followed by the vicious sting of a beak as the golden half was snatched from his hands

“Relax….” Jafar held out his hand as his parrot dropped the golden half into his hands, pulling the second half out from his sleeve, “… you’ll get what’s coming to you.”

As soon as he put the two halves together, the scarab beetle came to life and zipped off into the distance.

“Follow the trail!” Jafar ordered, getting onto his horse quickly and racing after it, trusting that the thief wouldn’t be far behind.

The man wouldn’t go anywhere without his reward.

They sped through the desert after the golden trail until the golden scarab suddenly dived down, disappearing under the sand as the ground started to rumble.

Jafar watched in amazement as a giant lion’s head rose up from the sand, eyes glowing bright red.

“Finally.” He hissed, “After years of searching, I’ve finally found it. The Cave of Wonders.”

“Woah.” The thief whispered, the pair of them dismounting before Jafar was pulling the other man closer, a firm grip on his collar.

“Now remember…” He hissed, “… bring me the lamp! The rest of the treasure is yours but get me that lamp!”

The thief nodded eagerly, making his way over to the giant lion head, missing how the parrot leaned closer to Jafar’s ear.

“Jeez, where’d you dig this one up?”

Jafar said nothing, watching as the man crept up to the lion’s mouth, peering into the cavernous hole. The inside was glowing, steps forming in the sand. When he went to step inside, the lion growled and rumbled, sending the young man scurrying backwards.

WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER?!

“G-Gazeem, a humble thi- “

KNOW THIS. ONLY ONE MAY ENTER HERE. ONE WHOSE WORTH MAY NOT SEEM MUCH AS FIRST, BUT WHOSE HEART IS PURE AND HONOURABLE

Gazeem turned back to Jafar, confusion on his face.

Jafar was never going to admit that he was just as confused by the statement.

A heart that was pure and honourable?

“Well?” He straightened up, acting as though he was expecting this, “Go on then!”

Gazeem did as he was told… but as soon as he placed his foot on the first step, the lion roared and the mouth closed down on the young man, the sand covering and suffocating him as the wind swirled all around.

“NO!” Jafar cried out in anger.

FIND THE ONE WITH A PURE AND HONOURABLE HEART.

The lion collapsed back into the sand, the two halves of the golden scarab rolling down the small hill that had been left behind in its wake.

“I can’t believe it!” Iago snarled, flying over to collect the two halves, “I just don’t believe it! We’re never going to get that stupid lamp!”

“Patience Iago, patience.” Jafar sighed wearily as Iago dropped the two halves into his hand, “Gazeem was obviously less than worthy.”

“Oh, that’s a surprise! I think I’m about to have a heart attack and die from not being surprised!” Iago whined, “What’s your plan now? We do have a problem you know!”

“Only one may enter.” Jafar mused, “We simply have to find the one who is… pure of heart.”

……………………………………………………………………………………..

Earlier, I mentioned that this was a time of uncertainty and turmoil.

Foreigners from far across the oceans had started to travel to Agrabah, much to the displeasure of the locals. Many came with swords and war in their hearts… and those were the one who left in coffins, or transformed into the pests that Jafar saw them as.

But they just kept coming, hence the need for more drastic measures.

He hadn’t found them all though.

“There.” The hooded man smiled warmly at the street child, “Keep it dry and you’ll feel better soon.”

The child stared back, a look of wonder flashing across his face, fingers tracing the white bandage softly, before he bowed, blurting out what Nicolo assumed to be a thank you in his native tongue, before he was rushing off.

These jobs never paid well.

In fact they didn’t pay at all, but Nicolo didn’t care about that.

Yes, he often needed more coin for bread, the stall-keepers charging him twice the normal price, but he would never charge those who were even less fortunate than him.

“Oh, Nicolo!” A washer-woman called out from her window, holding out just what Nicolo had been thinking about, “I bake too much.” She explained slowly, knowing that he was struggling with the language, “You take it.”

“I-I could not- “

“-Take!”

The loaf was shoved into his hands, making him fumble for a moment, before he bowed in thanks, stammering out a rough approximation of his gratitude.

Grateful for the meal, he headed towards the main street of the city, where the stalls gathered, and travellers were aplenty. 

He would eat, and then he would see if anyone needed assistance with anything.

Resting against a nearby wall, he caught movement out of the corner of his eyes, prompting him to look into the alleyway on his right.

Children… street rats as they were commonly referred to.

They existed all over the world, not matter what the Church would have people believe. God was not always cruel to these countries in the same way he was not always kind to Roma.

These two were probably only about eight, digging through the piles of waste that people had tossed out onto the streets for the other scavengers of the city.

Without hesitation, Nicolo got to his knees, slowly out the bread for the pair to take.

“Here.” He stumbled over the words, “For…you.”

The children approached him cautiously, before they grabbed the loaf from his hands and scurried away. Smiling fondly, Nicolo continued to head towards the main street, where a large crowd was gathering, all eyes on the woman currently riding down it, guards on all sides.

It was clear that the woman came from an affluent family, the fabric of the clothes finer than those of what the washerwomen and others like them worse.

Nicolo was confused though.

As far as he was aware, the Princess of the kingdom had already gotten married… maybe a potential new bride for the Sultan?

So lost in his own thoughts, he almost didn’t see the two street children from earlier running out into the middle of the street, causing the horse carrying the woman to rear back in alarm, all guards drawing their swords as the children froze in fear.

And then the children ran out into the road, not paying attention until they heard the car brake, inches away from hitting them. As soon as the car stopped, the prince and the princess burst out, their glares focused on the terrified children.

“GET OUT OF THE WAY!” One of the guards bellowed at the terrified pair, one hand moving to the whip on his belt.

Nicolo was darting forwards before he even knew it, standing in front of the children, one arm raised to protect them from the blow, hissing at the sting of the whip lashing around it.

The guard spat out a familiar sounding word that Nicolo had taken to mean ‘foreigner’ or ‘invader’, something along those lines.

He kept his head down, trying to pull the children back towards the crowd, only to grunt as he was kicked in the side, sending him to his knees in the middle of a mud puddle.

“Scum.” The guard hissed, before spitting at him and directing the others to carry on their way. The crowd didn’t spare him a second look as they all dispersed. The children hung back for a moment, before Nicolo waved them off, giving them a reassuring smile as he got to his feet.

Mud dripped off his clothes, causing him to sigh wearily.

These were the only decent clothes that he had. Clothes that he would have to have an attempt at cleaning tonight, hoping that they would dry quickly.

Slowly, he made his way back to the abandoned building he was currently staying in.

He suspected his own people were responsible for the damage, but it was not a thought he wanted to dwell on.

There was already enough sorrow in the world, without focusing on things like that.

Staring out at his view of the palace, Nicolo settled in for a long and lonely night.


	2. Chapter 2

Jafar was already not having a very good day.

Seeing the bride that he had arranged for his brother storming out of the palace, did not help the situation.

“Please.” He tried to plead with her, “I know he can be a little abrasive at times, but Yusuf is- “

Too late.

She was already gone.

Scowling, he spun on his heel and heading straight for the library, where he knew his brother would be loitering, lost in his poems and other useless things that would never get him anywhere in life.

“YUSUF! YUSUF!”

He stormed into the library, spotting Quynh first. A foreigner he had liberated from a slaves’ camp, he had married her off to his brother a little over five years ago.

Nothing.

He wasn’t even convinced they slept in the same bed together.

“What happened?” He snarled, “Why did she- “

Quynh just smirked at him, one finger moving down to the bejewelled dagger Yusuf had gifted her one year.

“You know, for someone not even willing to sleep with him and bear his child, you are very possessive of him!”

Ignoring the shiver that ran up his spine at her stare, he moved further into the room, finally spotting his brother in the corner of the room, not looking up from his parchment as Jafar entered the room.

“One thing.” Jafar asked, “I ask that you do one thing in this life, and that is sire a child to carry on the family name, and what do you do?!”

“I tried to talk to her.” Yusuf still didn’t look up from his poetry, “She just stared at me though. I can at least hold a conversation with Quynh.”

“You- “ Jafar stopped, taking a deep breath, “- It is not about whether or not you can hold a conversation with them. It is about the fertility of the family and her family- “

“- I am not marrying and bedding a woman I can’t even talk to.”

“YOU DON’T BED THE ONE YOU CAN TALK TO!”

The words echoed off the walls of the room, followed by silence as Jafar fought to contain his temper.

“I…” He slowly began, “… am not very happy with you Yusuf.”

“Really? I couldn’t tell.” Yusuf glanced up at his brother finally, a mischievous twinkle in his eyes, one that he inherited from their mother.

“If you refuse to sire a child with Quynh, then another wife must be chosen.”

“If you’re so concerned about an heir, why don’t you get married?!”

“I am the Grand Vizier of Agrabah, the Sultan's most trusted advisor! I have no time to think about things like that!”

“What? Love?”

“Yusuf.” Jafar sighed and shook his head, “You are so caught up in these stories of love at first sight, that you have blinded yourself to the possibility of anything else. What if you have already met the perfect woman and you’ve pushed her away because of this foolish notion.”

“And what if I haven’t met them yet, because you won’t let me venture out of the palace grounds?” Yusuf fought back,” It’s been years since I’ve set foot outside of these walls! The only friend I have is Quynh!”

“Yusuf, we are in the middle of a war against- “

“- intruders that will look for any weaknesses, including taking the brother of the ‘oh so powerful’ Grand Vizier hostage.” Yusuf rolled his eyes, pushing himself to his feet and shouldering past his brother, “So you’ve said!”

As his brother stormed away, Jafar groaned in frustration, deciding to go in the opposite direction.

Maybe the Sultan would heed his advice, or maybe the Sultan would give him that mystic blue diamond on his ring that would help Jafar find this… pure and honourable heart.

………………………………………………………………………………….

“Are you really sure this is the best way out of here?” Yusuf balanced precariously on the castle walls, “No secret doors or anything?”

“This is more fun.”

“Only you think that!” Glancing down at the drop on the other side, Yusuf forced couldn’t help but smile at his wife, “Distract my brother for me.”

A vicious smirk flashed across Quynh’s face, which gave Yusuf some reassurance. He chuckled, sliding down the other side of the wall and dropping down outside the palace walls just as the sun was starting to rise.

…………………………………………………………

Nicolo sent up a quick prayer as he rested against a nearby wall.

He was lucky to be experiencing a morning like this. Watermelons just thrown off to one side to make way for fresh ones and thankfully, the stall keepers were more than willing to sell them at a much lower price.

Tucking into his breakfast treat he glanced around the marketplace, only stop at what he saw.

He’d never seen someone as stunning as him before. Dark skin, dark hair that hung in curls around his face, a rather fetching beard and moustache, dressed in expensive looking clothing…. He looked like he could have been the Sultan.

And then he saw the man make his way over to a nearby apple stall, where a small child was staring at the fruit longingly.

Which means that he didn’t see the stall owner storming over to him.

“Get out of here!” The man bellowed at the child, raising a hand into the air to backhand the poor boy away, only for his wrist to be grabbed.

“Hey!” The man who Nicolo had been watching earlier, pushed the stall owner away, “He wasn’t doing anything wrong!”

“He was scaring away my…” Nicolo wasn’t sure of the last word, but he made a mental note that it was probably customers.

“How?”

The stall owner sputtered out something, frowning as the handsome man pulled a few coins out of his belt pouch.

“Here!”

The man then took a few apples, turning away from the stall owner and handing them to the child, “Share them with your friends.” He gently ordered, smiling fondly as the child bowed in thanks and rushed off.

It was then that their eyes met.

For a moment, the hustle and the bustle of the street was lost to them, so focused as they were on each other.

And then Nicolo panicked.

Pushing himself to his feet, he abandoned his watermelon and rushed towards a nearby alleyway, hoping to lose the stranger.

“Hey! Wait!”

………………………………………………….

“With all due respect…” Iago called out from the treadmill, running as fast as he could, watching a red cloud of smoke building above him, “… wouldn’t it be easier to wait for a real storm?!”

“Less whining, more running!” Jafar rolled his eyes, placing the mystic blue diamond in a specialist device.

It had been a little harder to get the Sultan alone to ‘persuade’ him to hand over the diamond, what with his daughter’s recent marriage and possible heir in the future, but he had his ways.

“Yes, oh mighty evil one!”

Jafar chose to ignore the mocking tone, watching as lightning shot through the blue diamond and into the sand below. “Dark sands of time, reveal to me, the one who can enter the cave!”

The sand swirled around, eventually forming a picture of a foreign male, skin pale, nose long and a mole by his mouth.

A stunning blue/green eyes that seemed to pierce his soul.

“There you are.”

And then he spotted the figure chasing the foreigner.

“Yusuf.”

………………………………………………………………………….

“Please, you don’t have to be afraid!” Yusuf frowned as the foreign man started to panic, back to the wall as he stared at him, “Yusuf.” He tapped himself on the chest, “I’m Yusuf.”

“… Nicolo.”

Yusuf smiled warmly at the quiet reply, “Nicolo… that’s a lovely name.” He moved a little closer, switching to Italian in the hope that that would help the situation, “I’m not going to hurt you. I just wanted to talk.”

Nicolo looked stunned by this, looking around nervously. “You… speak Italian?”

“A little. You speak Arabic?”

Nicolo held up his hand, fingers a little apart to indicate ‘a little’.

“I am… learning.” He stated slowly, looking around, “I… have a place? It is safer than here.”

“Lead the way.”

Making sure not to get too close and possibly scare Nicolo away, Yusuf followed on behind, through winding streets, up narrow steps to a rather run-down building.

“You live here?”

Nicolo nodded, almost looking a little ashamed as he started to move things around. “It is… suitable?”

It was barely any better than a hole in the ground, but Yusuf would never say that out loud. How could he judge someone for their circumstances in life, just because he’d practically grown up in the palace? He had all the food he wanted, all the clothes he could ever want… everything.

Well… almost everything.

Did Nicolo feel as trapped as he did, Yusuf couldn’t help but wonder.

“You look like a man running away from something.” Nicolo’s gentle voice in his native tongue, broke the silence, sounding almost amused as he glanced over at Yusuf, “I know the look well.”

“I’m sure you do.” Yusuf sighed, leaning against a nearby wall, “My brother wants me to get married to someone more willing to give me heirs.”

“Ah.” Nicolo’s hands moved to grasp at something underneath his tunic, “I was always grateful that I had older brothers that were more than willing to carry on the family name, so that I could pursue… other things.”

“Other things?”

“I’m am- was a priest.” Nicolo glanced out of the window, “And then it was decided that I should travel to this land, commit atrocities in the name of a God who I know would never allow such things to be done in his name.”

Yusuf couldn’t help but move closer, drawn in by the passion in Nicolo’s voice.

Their eyes met and they both leaned in closer… and then the door slammed open to reveal several armed guards, prompting the pair to jump to their feet, Yusuf moving slightly in front of Nicolo in order to protect him.

“Yusuf!” Nicolo hissed, “Please don’t, I-I think they’re after me.”

Yusuf winced, “Or me… my brother has quite a lot of influence over the guards in this city.” He glanced around, spotting the window to his right, “Do you trust me?”

“What?”

“Do you trust me?”

Nicolo was silent for a moment, before he grabbed Yusuf’s hand and nodded in determination, already heading to the window before Yusuf could make a move. In unison, they jumped through the window, still clinging onto each other’s hands as they landed.

It was a painful landing, but they didn’t linger on that, pushing themselves to their feet and making a run for it… straight into more guards.

Almost immediately, the guards reached out to grab Nicolo, pulling him away from Yusuf.

“Look what we have here.” The Head Guard smirked as Nicolo attempted to pull himself free, “Another foreigner rat.”

Yusuf froze.

He knew what they did to foreigners, especially in these troubled times.

“Get away from him!”

The Head Guard sneered, already chaining Nicolo’s hands together, “Who are you to tell me what to do?”

Pulling his hood down, Yusuf couldn’t stop the smirk. “Unhand him, by order of the brother of the Grand Vizier of Agrabah!”


	3. Chapter 3

“Unhand him, by order of the brother of the Grand Vizier of Agrabah!”

The guards all froze in place, seeing the familiar face glaring at them.

“Lord Yusuf!” The Head Guard cried out, bowing quickly as the other guards forced a stunned Nicolo to his knees, “What are you doing outside the palace… and with this… man.”

It was clear the guard wanted to use a much more unflattering word, only to think the better of it.

“That’s none of your concern!” Yusuf hated using his ‘Lord’ voice, but needs must and all, “Do as I command and release him!”

The Head guard winced, “I-I would My Lord, but my orders come from your brother himself… you’ll have to take it up with him.”

As Nicolo was dragged away, Yusuf turned his glare to the palace. “Believe me… I will.”

………………………………………………………………….

Jafar glanced around cautiously as he exited his secret laboratory, carefully sliding the stone slab shut… only to hear someone calling his name.

“JAFAR! JAFAR!”

Spinning around, he winced at the sight of his brother storming towards him, quickly covering the door gap with his body, “Brother!”

He ignored Iago’s whispered protests.

“Is something wrong?”

Yusuf thankfully, didn’t seem to notice Jafar’s strange behaviour and continued to glare at him. “Earlier today, a man was dragged from his home and arrested, apparently on your orders. Why?!”

“I have been tasked with keeping peace in the kingdom and that man was an invader! Who knows how much blood stains his hands, how many lives he has taken!”

“He was a man who was trying to help people, trying to make up for what he took part in!”

“You say this, and yet he was holding you captive, was he not?”

“WHAT?!” Yusuf threw his hands into the air in exasperation, “I ran away! I wanted to be there! Better than here!”

Instantly, Jafar plastered a look of shock, striding past his brother as though he didn’t want to look brother in the eye, “Oh dear… how embarrassing, if only I’d known.”

He paused, waiting for his brother’s curiosity to kick in.

“What do you mean?”

“Sadly… the foreigner’s sentence has already been carried out.”

“… What sentence?”

“Death by beheading.”

Yusuf was clearly distressed by this, taking a step back as Jafar reached out to put a hand on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry Yusuf, but- “

“- Don’t touch me!” Yusuf snarled, wrenching himself away and storming out of the room.

He took it better than Jafar expected.

……………………………………………………………………………………………..

Quynh frowned as Yusuf burst into their room, practically throwing himself down onto the bed.

“Yusuf? Are you okay?”

“… It’s all my fault.” Yusuf whispered, “It's all my fault!"/p>

…………………………………………………………………………………

Nicolo was not ashamed to admit that he was terrified at where he was.

He’d heard the horror stories about what happened to foreigners… invaders if they were caught.

Desperately trying to turn his thoughts away from his inevitable death, he ended up thinking about Yusuf instead.

He couldn’t believe he’d been talking to the brother of the man who had risen to his position through his persecution of ‘crusaders’.

As though they could be friends!

So lost in his thoughts, he barely heard the cell door opening, a figure dressed in red and black entering the small room.

“I’ve heard a lot of things about you.”

Nicolo flinched at the voice, eyes raising to see a familiar face staring down at him.

“Yusuf?”

“Jafar.” It was then that Nicolo realised that the man was speaking Genoese, much like Yusuf had, “I have a deal to make with you.”

“I- “

“- There is a cave, a cave of wonders that is full of treasure beyond your wildest dreams…” Here Jafar pulled out several rubies, resisting the urge to frown when Nicolo didn’t react in the slightest, “… enough to get you home and make you rich enough to live out the rest of your life in peace.”

“I can live a life of peace without riches.”

Jafar paused, before trying again.

“Maybe so… but think of those you can help with said riches.”

Watching as the man moved to free him from his chains, Nicolo narrowed his eyes in suspicion. “Why are you offering this to me?” He asked, rubbing at his red raw, but free, wrists, “I have seen what your laws have done to men like me, men who only wanted a chance to start anew, far from this ‘Holy war.’ Why would you want to help me?”

Jafar smirked, “Let’s just say I have a good feeling about you.”

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

WHO DARES DISTURB MY SLUMBER?

Nicolo clutched at the rosary he kept carefully hidden under his tunic, eyes widening at the sight of the head rising up out of the sight.

“N-Nicolo di Genova.” He managed to force out.

HMMMM… PROCEED. TOUCH NOTHING BUT THE LAMP.

The mouth opened wide, to reveal stairs that led down to a glowing cavern.

“Bring me that lamp!” Jafar called out from behind them, “And then you’ll have your reward!”

Nicolo couldn’t help but feel wary of the situation.

Jafar had promised him all these riches, and yet, the guardian of said riches had told him to touch nothing but the lamp.

But inside he went anyway.

As he made his way down to the bottom of the steps, his eyes widened again at the sight of all the gold and jewels surrounding him.

“Let us not be led into temptation.” He whispered to himself, quickly striding down the pre-made path.

Even the strongest saint would have trouble in a place such as this.

Halfway down the path, he suddenly got the feeling that he was being followed. He didn’t fight in one of the bloodiest wars in history to not know when he was being watched.

He stopped in his tracks, hearing someone come to a stop behind him.

Less than a second later, he was spinning around and moving into a defensive position, surprising the man standing behind him.

The man held his hands up to show that he was unarmed, saying something in what was probably meant to be a reassuring tone.

If Nicolo could understand what he was saying.

Thankfully, the man seemed to pick up that he wasn’t being understood fairly quickly, gesturing for Nicolo to follow him, which he did, hoping that the strange man was leading him to the lamp.

A few minutes later, Nicolo found himself in a much darker area of the cave, where there was a large pool of water. Several rocks led to a larger pile, illuminated by a beam of light… where a young woman sat.

“Lykon!” She stated, upon spotting them, before continuing on in the same strange language that Nicolo had heard the other man, Lykon, speak in.

Thankfully, she also seemed to grasp that Nicolo couldn’t understand them.

She stared at him for a moment, before pressing one hand against her chest.

“Andromache.”

Nicolo frowned, as she repeated herself.

“N-Nicolo di Genova.” He shakily introduced himself, hoping that that was what she was getting at. Judging from the way her eyes lit up, he had guessed correctly.

“Ah, you’re from Genova?” She asked in his native tongue, making him sigh in relief.

“Y-Yes.” He looked around, “I-I’ve been told to look for a lamp?”

Lykon started to cackle as Andromache rolled her eyes.

“There is no lamp.”

“W-what?”

Lykon, having finally managed to regain his composure, shook his head. “I told you that rumour would work against you. Genies in lamps, ha!”

“And immortal warriors are much more believable?”

“Immortal…” Nicolo felt a little faint, taking several steps back, “… Warriors?”

He didn’t notice how close he was getting to a giant ruby… but the other two did.

“LOOK OUT!”

It was too late though.

Startled further by the shout, Nicolo jumped back, straight into the ruby. Less than a second after his hand accidentally made contact with it, the cave started to rumble.

“TRAITORS!” bellowed the cave, “YOU HAVE TOUCHED THE FORBIDDEN TREASURE! AND NOW, YOU WILL NEVER SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY AGAIN!”

“Come on!” Andromache grabbed Nicolo’s hand, pulling him back towards the exit, as everything crumbled all around them, “Lykon, you have the grappling hook, right?”

“Here!”

Andromache never paused in her running, catching the hook with one hand as she held Nicolo’s hand in the other

Nicolo glanced over his shoulder, yanking on Andromache’s hand when he saw Lykon felled by a large boulder, skull splitting open with the force.

“Wait, he- “

“- He’ll be fine! Come on!” She stopped right by the exit of the cave, staring up at the hole as she swung the hook into the air, latching on to a rock near the mouth of the cave. “You first.” She ordered Nicolo, pushing him towards the rope.

Slowly, Nicolo started to climb, spurred on by the thought of freedom.

Upon glancing back down, he sighed in relief when he saw that Andromache wasn’t far behind.

“Go on!” She yelled over the roar of the destruction happening all around them.

Nicolo forced himself to climb those last few inches, only to yelp as the back of his tunic was grabbed, a strong arm yanking him to the surface.

“The lamp! Where is it?!”

“T-there wasn’t a lamp!” Nicolo protested, eyes darting back to the entrance, where he could vaguely see Andromache’s hand reaching out. “P-please we need to- “ He yelped as guards grabbed him, starting to rub their hands over his body as though he was hiding the lamp amongst the rags of fabrics.

“Nothing My Lord.” The guard shook his head, throwing Nicolo to the ground, as Jafar climbed back onto his horse.

Jafar barked out an order to the guards, sneering down at Nicolo, before turning away.

This was the last thing Nicolo heard, before something struck his skull, sending him in darkness.


	4. Chapter 4

“…Careful… careful… head wound.”

Nicolo stirred weakly, hissing at the splitting pain in his head, as he opened his eyes, spotting two shadowy figures standing above him.

“W-what happened?” He asked, eyes widening when Lykon came into view, “You- you died! I-I saw you and- “

“- Death and we… have an understanding.” Andromache interrupted, helping Nicolo into a seated position, “As to answer your question, we got out of the cave, killed the guards that were going to ‘remind you of your place’, or so that well-dressed man stated, and now here we are.”

“Right… so, who are you two?”

The pair glanced at each other, before Andromache sighed wearily. “Let’s just say, it’s a long story.”

“The one about how we got trapped in a cave is a lot shorter.” Lykon smirked, “Let’s just say Andromache here, got into bed with the wrong sorceress.”

“She seemed perfectly nice when I first met her!”

“I’m dreaming.” Nicolo whispered to himself, “I’m dreaming!”

“So, now that you’ve helped to free us from the cave, how can we help you?” Lykon asked, voice cutting through Nicolo’s panicked breathing, “Do you want someone killing? Seduction tips? Andromache can help with those- “

“- Lykon.” Andromache hissed, “I think you’re overwhelming him.”

Nicolo ignored them, face in his hands as he desperately tried to wake up.

………………………………………………………………………………………

“I cannot believe the audacity!” The Sultan glared down at his advisor, “I am the Sultan, Jafar! I decide who lives and who dies! NOT YOU!”

Jafar couldn’t understand how he’d found out about the ‘execution’. Not from Yusuf, his brother has barely left his room since hearing the news.

Had the foreigner managed to make his way back to the kingdom and get an audience with the Sultan?

No… that was impossible.

How then?

As the Sultan continued to rant and rave, about how they were supposed to be living in times of peace, to show the Western lands that they were not the savages that their Pope and rulers had proclaimed them to be, Jafar caught movement out of the corner of his eye.

Quynh smirked at him.

Of course… of course the witch was behind this.

Grip tightening around his cobra-headed staff, Jafar pressed his head to the ground in apology. “I assure you Your Majesty, it won’t happen again.”

“Hmph, see that it doesn’t.”

Sensing that he had been dismissed, Jafar backed out of the throne room, waiting until he was far enough away, before growling in frustration. The guards had yet to return with the foreigner, which lowered his chances of ever getting that lamp.

He just wanted this kingdom to thrive…. And with each passing day, he wasn’t sure that it ever would under the kind-hearted Sultan.

…………………………………………………………………………

Nicolo sighed in relief when he spotted the Kingdom in the distance.

They had walked for what seemed like hours and he was ready to collapse.

“Let’s stop.” Andromache sighed, clearly spotting that Nicolo was tired, “We can still make it before nightfall.”

“Do you… do you get tired?” Nicolo couldn’t help but ask, curiosity taking over, “You cannot die, so I assume that you cannot tire.”

“Oh, we get tired.” There was a heaviness in Andromache’s voice that indicated that she wasn’t simply referring to simple exhaustion, “Our stamina is just greater, as our muscles recover quicker.”

Never really tiring and never dying.

It sounded like a lonely existence.

“Anyway…” Lykon swiftly changed the subject, clearing his throat nervously, “… how did you get mixed up in a situation like that?”

“There was… a man.” Nicolo stopped as both of them aahed in understanding, flushing bright red, knowing what they thought, “It was a mistake… nothing more.”

“… it doesn’t sound like a mistake.”

“The Church says- “

“-Pah!” Andromache waved her hand in dismissal, “Love is love, and no Church has the right to say otherwise.”

“I-I don’t- “

“- Who is he?”

Nicolo was silent for a moment, before quickly realising that they weren’t going to just give up on the conversation.

“He is… the brother of the man who forced me into the cave.”

“The Sultan’s advisor?” Lykon paused in thought, “That means he’ll probably live in the palace.” An almost identical pair of smirks appeared on their faces, “We can definitely get into the palace.”

Nicolo felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.


	5. Chapter 5

“Grand Vizier Jafar.” The servant bowed low at the doorway, “The Sultan wishes to see you in the throne room, immediately.”

Jafar internally groaned.

What now?

Couldn’t anyone see that he was trying to take over the kingdom?

No… probably not.

If the princess were unwed, maybe this would be easier. It would be even easier if he had the lamp.

Sighing wearily, he got to his feet and followed the servant.

He frowned at the sight of the three strangers standing there.

“Ah, Jafar!” The Sultan beamed at him, clearly having forgotten his earlier mishap, “I would like you to meet Lady Andrena. She has come to see your brother, with a marriage proposal I presume?”

The question was directed at Andrena, who nodded.

“Ah yes…” The Sultan nodded, “… Jafar’s search for another bride for his brother is fairly well know. I suppose it’s no surprise that some Fathers are snatching up the opportunity.”

There was something off about all this.

His brother was just that… his brother. Not a Prince, not an advisor… just an artist who happened to live in the palace.

“And where is Lady Andrena from?” Jafar asked, tone suspicious, “Surely you’re aware of the problems we’ve had with… foreigners recently?”

“And what better way than to secure peace with a marriage alliance.” One of Lady Andrena’s… assistants (?) spoke up. A dark-skinned man with a warm smile.

The other, hooded man remained silent.

“I couldn’t agree more!” The Sultan exclaimed, even as Jafar shook his head.

“I’m afraid you’ve come at a bad time.” Jafar forced out, “I’m afraid my brother has not been in the best of moods recently.”

“And who’s fault is that?”

Everyone turned towards the doorway, where Yusuf was glaring at his brother, a smug looking Quynh standing behind him.

“As I sense I’m not going to get much of a choice in this…” Yusuf continued, eyes turning to Lady Andrena and her two servants, “… How do you feel about having dinner with my wife and I?”

“I’m sure we’d be delighted.”

Jafar didn’t miss how Lady Andrena’s eye flickered over to Quynh.

Perhaps, he could work this to his advantage after all.

…………………………………………………………………………………………………………

“Well, he seemed… nice.” Andromache remarked after dinner, “Very polite despite the fact that he didn’t want me there at all.” She glanced over at Nicolo and smirked, “You were lucky that we managed to come up the whole ‘vow of silence’ for you, I thought you’d actually say something!”

“… He’s married.” Nicolo glanced around, “We shouldn’t be here. We shouldn’t be doing this.”

“They’re looking for a new wife for him.” Lykon pointed out, “I think it’s safe to say that they don’t really have any interest in each other.” He then pointed at Andromache, “Which means that you have to behave yourself.”

“You were looking at her as well!”

Lykon didn’t argue with this, choosing to ignore Andromache instead as he turned to Nicolo. “We can distract Quynh…. You can meet up with Yusuf. Be yourself.”

“… What if that isn’t enough?”

“Then he’s not right for you. And he never will be.” Lykon scanned Nicolo from head to toe, “First, I think we should find some nicer clothes for you. The monk look is nice, but this requires something a little more… out there.”

“But… not too out there, right?”

“I promise it’ll be just the right kind of out there.”

……………………………………………………………………………………………………..

“Well, that could have gone a lot worse.” Quynh admitted as her and Yusuf poured themselves some tea, “She’s certainly not pushing a marriage.”

“I don’t think I was the one she was interested in.” Yusuf teased, smirking at the light flush on his wife’s cheeks. Before he could tease her further however, there was a knock on the door.

They glanced at each other, before Quynh rolled her eyes and went to answer it.

Lady Andrena and her darker-skinned servant… Lykon were standing there.

“Lady Quynh.” Lady Andrena bowed, “I was hoping that we could take a walk together… with you Lord Husband’s permission of course.”

“He’ll be fine with it.” Quynh was not one for etiquette, “I know a lovely path through the gardens, Very secluded.”

“Sounds perfect.”

And then they were gone, leaving Yusuf alone, cup of tea cooling in his hands. “Alright.” He waved sarcastically at the door, “See you later.”

He didn’t have a chance to have another sip of his tea before there was a knock on the door again.

“That was quick…” He got up to answer it, only to pause at the sight of Lady Andrena’s second servant, the silent monk, standing there, “… Can I help you? If you’re looking for your mistress, I’m afraid her and my wife are having a walk around- “

“- I was actually hoping to speak to you.”

Yusuf froze. “I… thought you had taken a vow of silence?”

“I-I- “

There was something about the hooded man’s voice that struck a chord of familiarity within Yusuf.

“Don’t I… know you?”

“You were talking about your impressive book collection over dinner.” The man ignored the question, “I was hoping that I could see it?”

Yusuf stared at him for a moment, before a soft smile appeared on his face.

“Of course. Follow me.”

Had the monk changed clothes as well?

…………………………………………………………………………………..

Yusuf had no reason to be kind and yet here he was, leading a practical stranger around what had to be, the most stunning library Nicolo had ever seen.

“You must be well-travelled.” Yusuf broke the silence, making Nicolo flinch slightly.

“Hmmm?”

“Most… visitors. Those from different shores have trouble adjusting to our perfume and incense.” 

“Ah… yes.”

“You’re a man of few words.” Yusuf gently teased, before turning back to the books, “Did you have any subject you were interested in? I have some especially fascinating texts the culture to our South East, and the way they treated their kings after death. Or possibly Greece?”

“I- “

“- Or maybe you would prefer some fruit instead?” Yusuf headed over to the bowl he kept on his studying table, “Maybe an apple… Nicolo.”

Nicolo was reaching out before he even registered the name, only to freeze.

“I knew there was something familiar about you.” Yusuf whispered, voice gentle, not angry as Nicolo expected it would be.

It was then that he realised that Yusuf had been speaking in Nicolo’s language all this time.

“I-I’m sorry, I- “

“- I was told that you were dead.”

The sorrow in Yusuf’s voice made Nicolo pause.

“I’m sorry…” He sighed, “… it’s… it’s a long story.”

“We have time.” Yusuf smiled, only glance out of the window and notice how late it was, “Although, it may have to wait until tomorrow.”

“… Until tomorrow then.”

…………………………………………………………………

Nicolo knew he must have had an odd smile on his face, the matter only confirmed when he met Quynh in the corridors, a light flush on her cheeks as she headed back to her rooms.

“Well…” She smirked, “… It looks like it was a nice evening for both of us.”

Nicolo opened his mouth to answer… only to be grabbed from behind.


	6. Chapter 6

Nicolo could hear Quynh protesting as she was grabbed as well, the pair of them having sacks shoved down over their heads as they were carried out of the palace.

“We’ve got the witch Sir.” They heard one of the guard’s state, “The other one is a witness.”

“Throw them both in the sea.” A familiar voice ordered, fighting to be heard over what Nicolo assumed, was Quynh cursing violently.

There was a sharp pain on the back of his head and then… nothing.

………………………………………………………………………

When he next woke up, the hood was gone, but there was a boulder being tied to his legs as he was thrown off the side of a cliff.

Beside him, a metal box suffered the same fate.

If Nicolo strained, he could hear Quynh screaming from inside of it.

He held his breath and sent up a desperate prayer to God.

His hands were tied behind his back, lungs starting to burn. It wasn’t long before his felt his mind go fuzzy, blackness encroaching on his vision.

He vaguely saw the figure swimming towards him before everything went dark again.

………………………………………………………………………………………..

When he next woke up, it was to a burning sensation in his lungs and throat, spewing up water as he coughed weakly.

“There you go lad, cough it all up.” There was a soothing hand on his back, as he heard Quynh coughing beside him, “You had a lucky escape there. We all thought you were dead there.”

For a moment, so did Nicolo.

“Come on.” Lykon helped him to his feet, “We have work to do.”

……………………………………………………………………………………….

“You seem worried brother.”

Yusuf spun round to face the doorway, where Jafar was watching him.

“All this pacing.” Jafar teased, “Is something bothering you?”

“… Quynh went for a walk a few hours ago and has yet to return.”

“Hmmm, she has always been… a little wild.” Jafar shrugged, “Maybe she decided palace life wasn’t for her.”

“But- “

“- Which brings me onto my next subject quite nicely. You will be wedded to Lady Andrena as soon as possible. I think she’ll be a good fit for you.”

“I really don’t think we will.” Yusuf tried to protest, “I think we need to have a stronger talk about this obsession you have with getting me married off!”

“Obsession?! How dare you- “

“- YOU!”

All eyes turned to the doorway, where a dripping wet, pissed off Quynh was staring at them, Landy Andrena and her two servants behind.

The servants looked just as drenched… and one looked very familiar.

Before Jafar could dwell on that though, Yusuf was stepping forwards, a shocked look on his face.

“Quynh? What happened?”

“Your brother tried to have me drowned!” She hissed, stepping forwards, feet squelching in her shoes, “Me and Nicolo!”

“WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!”

All heads then turned to the right, where the Sultan was storming towards them, closely followed by his daughter and son-in-law.

Lady Andrena pushed forwards before Jafar could, pointing at her wet servant and Ouynh. “Your advisor, Jafar attempted to drown Lady Quynh and my loyal friend. It was lucky that Lykon here…” She gestured to her other servant, “… happened to witness the event and was able to pull them out before it was too late.”

The Sultan turned to Quynh, a sympathetic look on his face. 

He’d always had a soft spot for Quynh, even if she didn’t seem to be performing her ‘wifely duties’. “Is this true my dear?”

“She was blindfolded!” Jafar snapped, “There’s no way- “His mouth slammed shut, realising what he’d just said.

“Jafar!” The Sultan looked stunned, “Are you confessing to trying to kill this young woman and one of Lady Andrena’s servants?”

“I-I- found them together!” Jafar defended himself, “Lady Quynh broke her marriage vows!”

“That servant was actually with me.” Yusuf stepped forwards, bowing to the Sultan, “As a fellow learned man, he was eager to see my extensive library. There was no chance of him finding some time alone with my wife before my brother took matters into his own hand.”

Jafar couldn’t find any more words, glancing between them all.

“Jafar.” The Sultan sounded weary, “You know I have no other choice here. Guards…” He gestured at the men who had been following on behind him, “… Arrest the Grand Viser for the attempted murder of Lady Ouynh and… this gentleman right here.”

The guards grabbed Jafar as Yusuf turned away, unwilling to see his brother dragged away.

“Get off me!” Jafar struggled ferociously, managing to pull something out of his pocket, disappearing into a cloud of red smoke, leaving the guards behind to grapple with each other.

“FIND HIM!” The Sultan ordered, “SEARCH EVERYWHERE!”

As the Sultan ranted and raved, Yusuf turned his attention to a sodden Nicolo and Quynh, “Are you both alright?” He sighed in relief when they both nodded.

The Sultan was still ranting.

“Come on.” Yusuf gestured for them to follow him, “Let’s get you all some dry clothes.”

Was it wrong that he felt almost… relieved without his brother’s presence there?

……………………………………………………………………………………….

Jafar rested his back against the wall of his lab, manic cackles breaking through.

He knew he’d seen that servant before.

He was the one he sent into the cave.

How did he not see it before?!

Sliding down until he was seated on the ground, he sighed wearily.

It was time to be a bit more aggressive.

………………………………………………………………………..

“This has worked out quite nicely.” Andromache poured herself a glass of wine, “I think we can settle down here for a while, hmm Lykon?”

They were both glancing over at Quynh, who smirked at the attention.

“I think we can manage that.”

None of them were aware of what was just around the corner.


	7. Chapter 7

A week passed before Yusuf saw his brother again… and he wished it was in better circumstances.

The Sultan was giving a speech, when dark clouds started to gather above the palace, swirling all around it as the sky darkened and heavy winds battered against the crowds, sending anything that wasn’t fixed to the ground, flying into the air.

“What is going on?!” The Sultan cried out, his royal turban flying off his head and into the sky… where it landed on Jafar’s head perfectly.

“Jafar!” Yusuf called out, “What are you- “

“- That’s Sultan Jafar to you, brother!”

“Jafar!” The Sultan growled, “You- you vile TRAITOR!”

Jafar, unconcerned with the insults as he moved closer, “Sultan vile traitor… who is also the most powerful sorcerer in the world, coincidentally.”

Nicolo felt his heart sink to his stomach.

There was no genie.

How could he be so powerful?

“Jafar!” Yusuf then called out, seeming to have the same thought, “What have you done?!”

“A little bit of soul-searching!” Jafar answered, “And a little bit of giving it away.” He then turned to the crowd gathered in the courtyard. “Your Sultan has run this country into the ground! Allowing foreigners to walk around like nothing ever happened! Like they didn’t invade our country! Like they didn’t kill our men, rape our women!”

The was some mutterings in the crowd down below.

There were many who were in agreement and Jafar knew it as he turned to the Sultan.

“You heard them… now bow to me.”

“We will never bow to you!” Quynh stepped forwards, sneering up at Jafar.

Powerful sorcerer or not, he was still the same man that she always hated.

And vica versa.

Silently, Jafar sneered down at the small group, raising his staff into the air as a red glow surrounded his brother and his new friends, sending them to their knees, despite their struggles.

“You.” Jafar then focused his attention on Nicolo, “You!”

Yusuf was unable to stop Nicolo from being dragged away from him. “Jafar!” He screamed, “Get away from him!”

“I can see why you risk it all for him.” Jafar mused, lowering himself down, hands gripping at Nicolo’s face, smirking when the other man glared and tried to wrench himself free, “He does have a… certain appeal.”

“Jafar!”

Still holding onto Nicolo, Jafar sneered down at the rest of them.

“If you’re not with me, you’re against me.” He whispered, eyes focused on his brother, “And I can’t have anyone against me.”

The last thing Yusuf saw, was the hate in his brother’s eyes… and the last thing he heard, was Nicolo’s voice.

“YUSUF!”

………………………………………………………………………………………………….

When he next came to, it was to the sight of Lykon’s shocked face, hearing Andrena’s shocked gasp a little further away.

“Shit.” Lykon hissed, “Is Quynh- “

“- Yes. She came back as well.”

It was cold… colder than Yusuf had ever experienced, making him shiver as he sat up, “Came b-b-back?” He hissed, “What are you- “

“- You were dead.” Lykon interrupted, “You and Quynh… you were both dead.”

Yusuf glanced down at himself in confusion. “I… don’t feel dead?”

“We haven’t had a new immortal since Andromache.” Lykon seemed to be in a daze, “And now we get two in the space of an hour? What are the chances?”

“I-Immortal?” Yusuf stammered, “What are you talking about?! What’s going on?!”

“Later.” Andrena… Andromache cut Lykon off before he could speak, “Lykon, do you still have contact with that witch friend of yours?”

“I think it’ll be her grand-daughter by now, but I think so… back to Agrabah?”

“We shouldn’t- “ 

“- If we can get out of here, we have to go and save Nicky.” Yusuf interrupted, “I won’t leave him with my brother!”

Andromache still looked unsure, shivering as a cold blast of wind shot straight through her.

Agrabah clothing was not suitable for this weather in the slightest, as evident by the fact that Quynh was clinging onto

“Alright.” She sighed, “Lykon… get your friend to get us back. I’m tired of being passive.”

“You lasted longer than you usually do.”

“Shut up.”

……………………………………………………………………………

The Sultan, his daughter and his son-in-law had been locked up in the cells down below, leaving Nicolo and Jafar alone.

“Some fruit… please.”

It was an order, despite the manners and Nicolo was in no position to argue. He picked up an apple, resisting the urge to pull back as Jafar used his staff to hook that chain that bound Nicolo’s hands together and pull Nicolo closer.

“You have no idea how… pleased I am to see you reduced to this.” Jafar hummed, scanning Nicolo from head to toe as he took a bite of the fruit, “Wouldn’t your people have done the same to us? If given the chance?”

Nicolo tensed, resisting the urge to shield himself from view, despite the majority of him still hidden behind his clothing.

That stare made him feel naked.

“I am giving you an opportunity here…” Jafar whispered, waving his staff in the air and making the shackles disappear, before they morphed in mid-air to form a tiara, “… to improve foreign relations for years to come.”

He didn’t notice Nicolo reaching out for the wine by his side, until Nicolo was throwing it directly into Jafar’s eyes, making him yelp in pain.

His victory was short-lived however, as Jafar lunged forwards, causing him to fall back, tensing as Jafar raised his hand.

“I’LL TEACH YOU SOME RESPECT YOU- “ Jafar stopped, a sly smirk flashing across his face, “No… I have a better idea.” He glanced at his staff, the cobra eyes glowing, “A faster way to what I want.”


	8. Chapter 8

“No… I have a better idea.” He glanced at his staff, the cobra eyes glowing, “A faster way to what I want.”

Nicolo felt a shiver run down his spine.

Jafar had already sold his soul to be as powerful as he was… could he alter Nicolo’s mind to change his feelings for him.

Looking around, he desperately searched for a way out… only to spot movement up near the ceiling.

Yusef, Andromache, Quynh and Lykon.

They signalled for Nicolo to remain quiet, as he fought to keep the smile from his face.

And then he realised that they needed a distraction in order to sneak up on Jafar.

“Wait!” He swallowed his pride, moving to his knees, looking up at Jafar, “Please… please don’t use that on me.”

“Hmph.” Jafar chuckled under his breath, staring down at the younger man, “Much better… and are you willing to do whatever I tell you know?”

Nicolo simple nodded, not trusting his voice in the slightest, fighting not to react as the small group dropped down and hid in the shadows. All he needed to do, was distract Jafar long enough for the others to take him down.

“Well… I’ll believe it when I see it.” Jafar hissed, pulling him to his feet, “Maybe, we should start with a kiss?”

Nicolo didn’t even have time to protest before Jafar was slamming their lips together, one hand reaching up to yank at his hair, making him yelp and open his mouth, whereas Jafar was quick to deepen the kiss.

If Nicolo was thinking of Yusef, well, Jafar didn’t need to know.

And then the kiss was being broken and Jafar was spinning around, pulling Nicolo in front of him as Andromache stopped, frozen in place.

“Ah, ah, ah.” Jafar smirked, “You wouldn’t be the first assassin sent to kill me… although, I do have to wonder how you got here so quickly. I was so sure that I’d managed to kill you all.”

“Even me?” Yusef stepped out from behind the pillar, “You wanted to kill me as well?”

“… You were in my way.”

As Jafar lifted him his staff, preparing to strike again, Nicolo desperately grabbed a hold of it, yanking it off aim. Jafar simply snarled, throwing the other man to the ground, just as the others all leapt into action.

When all the others were blasted back, Nicolo made another desperate attempt to grab the staff only to be thrown to the ground once again, suddenly trapped inside of a giant hourglass, sand already running down onto his head.

“Ah, ah, ah.” Jafar smirked, “Your time is up.”

“NICOLO!” Yusef made a move towards the glass, only to be surrounded with swords, one of which he grabbed.

“Now, now, now baby brother.” Jafar rolled his eyes, “Don’t you remember our childhood… I would always win these little games.”

“Well, unlike you, I’ve actually kept up my skills.” Yusef hissed, “Now, are you actually going to fight me man to man… or are you going to continue using your magic like a cowardly snake!”

Spotting the others moving towards the hourglass in order to try and free Nicolo, Jafar lazily flung them to the other side of the room.

“What do you think?” Jafar hissed, “Why don’t we see how snake-like I can be!”

Within seconds, Jafar had transformed into a giant cobra as he lunged at his brother, just missing by inches.

Tightening his grip on the sword, Yusef kept his eyes on the creature, before diving forwards and slashing at its throat, smirking as Jafar reared back with a cry of alarm.

“Go Yusef!” Lykon whooped from the side lines as he made another attempt at getting to the hourglass, only to be knocked away once again.

The sand was almost up to Nicolo’s neck.

As Andromache was thrown against the wall, the point of Jafar’s tail slammed into Yusef, causing him to drop his sword, sending it skidding along the floor.

Thankfully, Quynh noticed, locking eyes with Yusef, before nodding in determination.

“Hey!” She yelled out, getting Jafar’s attention, “Even in this form, you’re a small, insignificant little worm!”

“You little- “He lunged at her, only for her to jump to the side, pulling out a dagger and stabbing the snake in the side.

Jafar screamed in pain once again, twitching as the pain threatened to be too much. Blinking through the pain, he spotted his brother making another break for the hourglass, grabbing a piece of wood that had been broken off during their fight.

The sand was almost at Nicolo’s mouth now.

“Hang on!”

Unfortunately, before he could smash the glass, snake coils wrapped around him, pulling him back towards the main body.

“You little fool!” Jafar hissed, tightening his grasp on Yusef, forcing the breath from his body, “You thought you could beat me?! You are nothing compared to me! Nothing!”

The sand had now covered Nicolo’s mouth.

Yusef felt his world going black, before… nothing.

……………………………………………………………………

He came back to life with a sharp gasp that caught his brother’s attention.

“No…” He hissed, “… How?!”

“Apparently, I have something you don’t.” Yusef groaned, pushing himself to his feet, “Immortality!”

He watched as Jafar shifted back into his human form, eyes darting from his brother, to Lykon, to Andromache and then back to his brother again.

“Why is it…” He hissed, “… that even at the height of my power, you’ve always got something better?!”

“What are you- “

“- I earn a position in the palace, and then you’re there being lorded for your ‘bravery’ in joining the fight against the invaders!” Jafar ranted, “I earn the position of Grand Viser, and you’re praised for being the smartest man in the country, who so bravely defended our country as well. No matter what I do, you have to be better!”

“So that’s what all this is about?!” Yusef couldn’t believe what he was hearing, “Jealousy?! Are you kidding?!”

“I am your older, and I am your BETTER!” Jafar snarled, “You- “

THWANG

Jafar felt silent, gaze slowly drifting down to the arrow now sticking out of his chest.

“I’ve wanted to do that for years.” Qunyh hissed, stepping out of the shadows, the bow still in her hands.

As Jafar fell to the ground, eyes dimming over in death, Yusef wished he could feel some guilt over it… but he didn’t.

“Yusef!”

Spinning around, Yusef saw that the hourglass had already been shattered, and Lykon was kneeling beside Nicolo.

Obviously, he’d seized an opportunity whilst Jafar was ranting and smashed the glass to free Nicolo.

Nicolo… who wasn’t moving.

“Nicolo?” Yusef rushed to join them, followed by Andromache and Qunyh, “Nicolo!”

Lykon looked up at him, a sympathetic look on his face. “Yusef… I’m sorry.”

“No.” Yusef shook his head, “No, no, no!” He knelt beside Nicolo, gently lifting the other man’s head onto his lap, “Please… please you can’t leave me like this! Please!”

Silence.

“Yusef…” Qunyh’s quiet voice broke through the sobs that he found impossible to muffle, “… Yusef, maybe this is for the best.”

“… What?”

She winced at his tone, “Well…you’re immortal… we’re immortal. You would have had to say goodbye eventually.”

“Not so soon!” His voice shook slightly with the sheer emotions he was feeling, “I wanted more time!”

“Hey, we know you did.” Lykon placed a hand on his shoulder, “But sometimes- sometimes these things don’t also go the way we want- “

Nicolo’s body arched as he sucked in a desperate breath, hacking up clumps of sand.

“- Or we discover three new immortals in the space of a couple of days and everyone’s happy.”

“Nicolo!” Yusef pulled the other man into a hug, not caring how Nicolo continued to hack up sand all over him.

“What- what happened?” Nicolo eventually managed to croak out.

“…We won.” Yusef glanced back over at his brother’s body, “We won.”

………………………………………………………………….

“We freed the Sultan and his family, made our apologies and that was the beginning of the Old Guard.” Joe finished the story, “Nothing that exciting really.”

Nile stared at him, eyes wide and mouth gaping open slightly. “Seriously?” She whispered, “Not that exciting?”

“That’s not even the worst of it.” Booker rolled his eyes, “Some talent agency offered to cast him as the villain in one of these Disney movies… the villain called Jafar.”

“I didn’t take it, did I?!”

“You wanted to!”

As Booker and Joe bickered, Nile turned to Nicky and Andy, who were listening with fond looks.

“That was all made up, right?”

“I wish.” Andy rolled her eyes, “We couldn’t ever visit Agrabah again, not when the royal family were told such ‘wonderful’ stories about Yusef and how he saved the kingdom.”

Nicky nodded, “It broke Joe’s heart, but he knew it had to be done.”

“… And the movie thing?”

“Really happened.” Nicky smirked, “It wouldn’t have been a good idea for his face to be immortalised on film, so Joe declined.”

“And I guess it would have been weird for him to basically play his brother.”

A look of disgust flashed across Nicky’s face, “You have no idea.”


End file.
